


Is It In His Face (Oh No That’s Just His Charms)

by an_ardent_rain



Category: Persona 4
Genre: M/M, Male-Female Friendship, Secret Crush, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-13
Updated: 2019-11-13
Packaged: 2021-01-30 07:40:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21424612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/an_ardent_rain/pseuds/an_ardent_rain
Summary: Yu is probably one of the coolest, most collected people Chie has ever met. So why, all of a sudden, does he get so embarrassed around Yosuke?
Relationships: Hanamura Yosuke/Narukami Yu, Hanamura Yosuke/Seta Souji, Satonaka Chie & Narukami Yu
Comments: 8
Kudos: 333





	Is It In His Face (Oh No That’s Just His Charms)

**Author's Note:**

> This is a goofy rom com I HAVE NO SHAME. I wrote most of this over 2 years ago, so. Idk why I decided to finish it but I did !!! This is a two part story, by the way, so don’t worry about what you might see as a cliffhanger. More is coming soon.

As Yu and Nanako walk away from the group, hands linked, everyone stares after them.

“He’s so cool!” Rise says after a moment, her hands in fists pressed to her cheeks. She, Chie, Yukiko and Yosuke had met up with Yu and Nanako for lunch at Junes. As usual, Yu had made an impression. “I’ve seen a lot of cute guys,” she continues, “and a lot of really cool guys, but nobody - nobody - beats Yu-senpai.” She sighs and looks off into the distance after him, a dreamy expression on her face.

“Yeah,” Chie says, nodding. “He is pretty cool. He trains with me sometimes, you know.”

Yukiko nods in agreement as well. “And he’s teaching me to cook.”

“I mean, yeah, he’s cool I guess,” Yosuke says, looking a little annoyed, “but it’s not like he’s not just a regular guy.”

Chie rolls her eyes. “You just don’t get it Yosuke, because no offense, but you’re kind of a dork.”

“Hey!” Yosuke sits up straighter and leans in to the table. “I am not a dork. And anyway, if I am… Yu’s just as big a dork as I am.”

“Oh… Yosuke…” Yukiko looks down, one hand on her chest, near her throat. “I didn’t realize you were so delusional.”

“Hey! He is!”

Chie snorts and she and Rise share a look that makes Yosuke even angrier. “Sorry,” Rise says, “but I agree.” She tosses one of the long tails of her hair over her shoulder. “Yu-senpai is cool.”

“I know he’s cool, okay, I agree with you guys. But he’s a big dork, too. Haven’t you ever seen him around a cat? There’s one that hangs outside of Dojima’s place that Yu feeds, and he’ll just stand there petting it for like... Hours.”

“Oh yeah, Yosuke,” Chie says, rolling her eyes. “Kindness to animals is just the worst.”

“Really, Chie?” he asks through gritted teeth. “I thought you were a dog person.”

“I am,” she says, voice growing harder, “but I don’t care if Yu isn’t. What, do you think I’m going to say you should be mean to cats?” She crosses her arms and gives him a flat look through narrowed eyes.

“No!” Yosuke lays his head down and groans. He looks back up at them, eyes pleading. “I’m just saying that Yu is not as cool as you think he is, okay? And his weird obsession with cats is part of that. Did you know that he hangs out by the river fishing at night? He has a homeless fishing guru he trades stuff to.”

“Yosuke, the Inaba fishing guru isn’t actually homeless,” Yukiko says. “He just likes it by the river. He wants to see the Samegawa Guardian.”

Yosuke’s frustration shows on his face but he doesn’t voice it. “But you have to admit… all the fishing… He takes it really seriously. That’s a little dorky right?”

The girls look at each other thoughtfully for a moment before turning back to Yosuke. “Sorry,” Rise says, flippant. “It just goes to show how hard-working he is.”

“Yeah, but did you know he has a part-time job making envelopes? He just sits in his room and folds them!” Yosuke looks victorious, like surely he’s finally hit on the one indisputable point of his argument.

Unfortunately, the girls don’t agree. “Shows how diligent he is,” Rise says, starting to look smug. “And no one’s part time job is fun, anyway - do you really like working at Junes?”

“Of course not,” Yosuke mutters. He crosses his arms over his chest and scowls. “But what about his popped collars? Are you going to tell me that’s cool, too?”

Yukiko clears her throat to hide a laugh and Chie rolls her eyes. “Okay,” Chie says, “I’ll give you that it’s not exactly cool, but you have to admit he can pull it off.” She leans in to Rise a little and says, under her breath, “And it’s not like wearing v-necks all the time is much cooler.”

Rise puts a hand to her mouth and giggles, and a moment later Yukiko’s bent over in a full-blown laughing fit. Chie puts a hand on her back to steady her while Yukiko laughs, her eyes squeezed shut.

“Hey,” Yosuke says. None of the girls pay him any attention. “Hey,” he says, louder, “we are not talking about me here! Cut it out, Yukiko, it wasn’t that funny.”

She snickers and says “But… Chie’s right.” She keeps laughing. “You do wear v-necks all the time.” She snorts and her shoulders shake. “And it’s really not cool at all.”

They all wait for Yukiko’s laughter to die down. Finally she calms, wiping her eyes and folding her hands daintily in her lap. “I’m sorry,” she says, smiling and not looking sorry at all. “But maybe you’re not the best to criticize others’ fashion choices… ?”

“Fine, I’ll let that go.” Rise laughs again and Yosuke scowls at her. She nods her head, giving him an apologetic smile, and he rolls his eyes. “But you have to admit, with all the other stuff? Yu is a giant dork! He’s weird!”

“Maybe you’re the weird one, Yosuke,” Chie says. Yukiko snorts beside her, and Rise gives him a look of pity, cocking her head adorably to one side. 

The girls present a united front against him, and Yosuke realizes there’s no hope of changing their minds. He sighs and gives up, and soon the subject shifts to something else.

Chie puts it out of her mind, attributing his argument to just Yosuke being Yosuke. She knows how nice it feels to have a best friend, to have that one person always there, that you know you can depend on, so she’s willing to forgive him a little for thinking that he knows Yu best. He’s wrong about Yu, but still. She can understand why he’d be convinced he was the expert.

* * *

As Chie gets to know him, she realizes Yu is far from the distant, untouchable guy she once thought him. He still seems really cool, but she’s seen a little more behind his mask. He’s not anywhere near as dorky as Yosuke claims he is, of course, but he’s not perfect, either, so much more than the “cool new kid from the city” he seemed when he first got to Inaba.

One day, not too long after they’ve rescued Naoto, she and Yukiko are shopping at Junes when they run into Yu. “Hello,” he says with a small wave.

“Hey!” Chie says. “What’s up? Doing some shopping?”

He nods and holds up a bag. “Nanako asked me to pick up a few things for supper.”

Yukiko gives him a bright smile, her hands clasped behind her back. “You’re a good big brother.” Yu smiles back, unable to keep his fondness for his little cousin off his face. “Do you have time to sit with us? We were going to grab a drink and study for a minute at the food court.”

“Ahh. Yes, I think so. As long as I’m not too late.”

“Great!” Chie says, enthused. “It’s always easier to study with you, anyway. I can never pay attention long enough to get anything done.”

Yukiko rolls her eyes discreetly, and Yu grins. “Well don’t worry, I’m used to that. Yosuke is the same way, it’s almost impossible to get him to actually study unless it’s right at the deadline. And even then he doesn’t really want to try.”

“Hey,” Chie says, her nose wrinkling. “Don’t compare me to him! I try way harder in school than Yosuke.” Both Yukiko and Yu snicker, and Chie grumbles as she leads them to a table. 

Despite what she said, they actually don’t get much done with Yu there, the three of them chatting instead as they enjoy their drinks. Only a little while has passed - less than an hour, maybe - when Yu tells them he has to leave. He stands to go and gives them both a quick farewell when his phone starts to ring. He takes it out of his pocket and glances at the display to see who’s calling. “Ahh,” he says, “excuse me. It’s Yosuke.” He takes a step back as he flips it open, and then holds the phone up to his ear. “Hello?”

Yosuke’s voice is immediately audible. What he’s saying is a little garbled, unclear through the phone, but he is so loud he is recognizable almost instantly.

“He’s always so loud,” Chie complains, leaning over to whisper to Yukiko.

“He is,” Yukiko agrees, nodding with an air of patience far exceeding Chie’s. “He’s…” Her head tilts thoughtfully and then suddenly she gasps and puts a hand on Chie’s arm. “Chie, look!”

“What?” Chie pulls gently out of her grip. “Yukiko, what in the world’s the matter with you?” But as she looks over to where Yukiko indicates - right at Yu - Chie gasps, too. Because Yu is blushing. Like someone dusted his face with red powder, his cheeks rosy and glowing and his eyes heavy-lidded. “Oh my gosh, Yukiko, look at him!”

“I know,” Yukiko says, suddenly enthused, biting on the hook of a bit of juicy gossip. “What do you think Yosuke’s saying to him?”

Chie lets out an angry snort. “Probably something dirty, knowing Yosuke! Ugh. He’s probably embarrassed to listen to whatever weird thing Yosuke’s telling him about. Not that I blame him or anything.”

Yu’s head dips down and he scuffs one foot against the floor. Almost bashfully. Which is a word Chie never would have thought to use to describe him. She gapes. Yu laughs nervously and puts a hand on the back of his neck. They both watch, almost entranced, as he talks quietly into the phone, his face a soft pink and his mouth curved into a warm smile. 

They hear Yosuke yell through the phone “See you later, partner!” And Yu murmurs his own goodbye as he hangs up. He puts the phone back in his pocket and as he straightens up he goes immediately back to normal. He has a placid expression and the blush has receded, leaving his skin clear and pale like normal.

“Have a good evening you two,” he says to Chie and Yukiko, grabbing his bag from the table and slinging the strap over his shoulder. “I’ll see you later.”

“Goodbye,” Yukiko says, her eyes on the table in front of her. 

“See you,” Chie says, trying to smile. 

He gives them a small wave and then leaves. The girls turn to each other, wide-eyed, as soon as he’s gone.

“Chie, I think that’s the first time I’ve ever seen Yu so embarrassed,” Yukiko says. “It shouldn’t be so surprising, really, but I guess I just didn’t even think he could get so embarrassed.”

“Yeah,” Chie agrees, “he’s usually so… cool. Nothing bothers him.” And it is pretty novel, Chie thinks, seeing him blush and look down bashfully and be embarrassed for one of the first times she can remember. But it makes her wonder. What on earth could have been so embarrassing? 

With no other explanation other than whatever Yosuke said on the phone, Chie decides to confront him the next day at school.

“What were you saying to Yu yesterday?” Chie asks, balling her hands into fists resting on her hips. “He was with us when you called so I saw his face!”

She says this like an accusation but Yosuke has no clue what he’s being accused of. “Uh… well yeah, Chie, if he was right there of course you saw his face. What does that have to do with me?”

Chie stomps her foot. “Yosuke! Don’t play dumb with me!” She leans closer, narrowing her eyes at him. “His face was red.”

Yosuke continues to look bewildered. “And?”

“And it must have been because of you! What weird things were you saying to him? You can’t just make dirty jokes like that, Yosuke, not everyone - “

“It wasn’t anything like that! I don’t even remember what I said, okay, I just called him to ask if he wanted to get together one day soon to play this new game I bought. I don’t know why his face was red or whatever. If that even happened and wasn’t just your imagination.”

“It wasn’t my imagination, Yukiko was there, too. We both saw it. It looked like he was super embarrassed!”

Yosuke sighs, long and exasperated, his eyes looking up to the sky. “And?”

This conversation is not going like Chie had hoped. “And?! Yosuke… he was embarrassed.” She pauses, her eyes wide, to emphasize her point. “Yu.”

“Wow, how amazing!” Yosuke says, sarcastic. He rolls his eyes again. “So Yu got embarrassed, so what?”

“Ugh, Yu is never embarrassed, that’s what!” Chie bursts out. “I want to know what you said to him to make him so embarrassed when it seems like nothing ever bothers him.”

And then, to her dismay, Yosuke laughs. “Chie, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Yu gets embarrassed like all the time. I already told you guys, he’s a giant dork.” Yosuke grins, his expression fond. “I mean, don’t get me wrong. He’s my best friend. But partner is kind of sensitive, I guess? The dude always seems to be turning red, blushing, like stuttering over something.” Yosuke shrugs. “That’s just who he is.”

No, Chie thinks. No, that is not who he is. She has never, in the months that she’s known him, seen anything that would lead her to believe that Yu Narukami was just “kind of sensitive”. He was considerate of others’ feelings, and a good listener, and could help out with even the stickiest emotional situation. But sensitive? She gapes at Yosuke and wants to shake her head. No way! Nothing bothers the guy. He’s cool, regardless of what Yosuke says. And a big part of that is because everything just seems to slide off his back. He’ll just accept whatever happens and roll with it. Before this, Chie would have said he doesn’t have any shame. “That is not who he is,” she says. “There’s no way we’re talking about the same guy. The Yu I know always keeps his cool. He’s not… sensitive or whatever.”

“Uh, yeah, he kind of is,” Yosuke says. His head tilts up and he’s starting to look a little too arrogant for her taste, with a smug, superior smile. “Guess you just don’t know him as well as you thought.”

This makes Chie angry enough that the interrogation just devolves into arguing. She storms off, convinced Yosuke is either hiding something or stupid. Or maybe both, she fumes, punching one of the pillows on her bed. It doesn’t make her feel any better and she huffs, turning and falling back onto the pillow, stretching her legs out along the length of the bed. She takes out her phone and texts Yukiko.

>>talkd to yosuke (ง •̀_•́)ง

A minute later, Yukiko calls.

Chie answers with a bitten off sigh. “Hello?”

Yukiko sighs. “What has Yosuke-kun done this time?”

Chie growls. “He didn’t do anything, he’s just… Ugh! What does he know?”

“Well his grades would certainly suggest his knowledge in several areas is lacking.”

Chie cackles into the phone, her spirits rising considerably. “Ha! Good one, Yukiko. You’re right about that. This isn’t about school, though, I already knew Yosuke doesn’t really try there. This is about Yu. His partner, the guy who’s supposed to be his best friend. Yosuke thinks he’s so smart, but he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

“Ahh.” Yukiko cleared her throat with a delicate noise. “What was he talking about?”

With a grunt, Chie sat up. “Remember yesterday, when we were with Yu at Junes in the food court, and he got that call from Yosuke?”

“Yes, of course,” Yukiko says. “Something seemed to make him very embarrassed.”

“Right?!” Chie agrees, her energy up. “So I, uh.” She coughs. “Well, I asked Yosuke about it! I wanted to know what he said that would make Yu - the guy that nothing seems to bother! - so embarrassed. And you know what he said?” She grunts in disbelief. “He said that Yu is embarrassed all the time! That he’s sensitive!”

“Sensitive?” Yukiko repeats, her voice touched with confusion. “I… suppose you could say that about him. He always seems to know how to help no matter what the problem is, and he’s a very good listener.”

“Okay, yeah, that’s all true,” Chie says impatiently, “but that’s not what Yosuke meant. He was saying that Yu gets embarrassed easily, that his own feelings are sensitive.”

“Ahh.” Yukiko is silent for a moment, thinking. “Well,” she says flatly, “that’s just not true.”

“Exactly.” Chie nods to herself and then sighs with relief that Yukiko is on her side. “Yosuke says that he’s seen Yu embarrassed all the time, but… how?!”

“Well either Yosuke is lying or flat out wrong… Or Yu is only embarrassed around Yosuke.”

Chie’s nose wrinkles and she kicks her feet against the side of her bed. “I don’t think Yosuke would lie about this. He’d probably be wrong, but then we saw Yu embarrassed talking to Yosuke! So… I guess you’re right, Yukiko. It’s something about Yosuke.”

“They are very close,” Yukiko says. “Maybe Yu feels he can express things to Yosuke he can’t to other people.”

Chie dismisses that immediately. “I don’t think so - he had to know anybody at Junes could see him and maybe hear him, so it’s not like he’d go spilling big secrets. And he doesn’t strike me as the kind of guy who would care about any big, embarrassing secrets anyway.”

“We don’t know what dark secrets he has,” Yukiko says. “Maybe Yosuke found out something really embarrassing and he’s threatened to tell all of Inaba, dangling it over Yu’s head at every opportunity.”

Chie groans and rolls her eyes to the ceiling. “Yukiko…”

Yukiko starts to snicker.

“Oh no you don’t!” Chie says. “You better not have a fit right now.”

“Sorry Chie,” she says through choked back laughter. “But the thought of Yosuke… as some nefarious blackmailer?” 

She cackles and Chie sighs, riding out Yukiko’s laughter until it starts to recede.

“Are you done?” Chie asks at last, once Yukiko’s giggles simmer down.

“Yes,” Yukiko says primly. “All done.” There’s a moment of silence. “You have to admit it is funny, though,” she says. “The idea that Yosuke could be mercenary and secretive enough to pull off some blackmailing scheme.”

“Heh, I guess,” Chie says. “Even if he could pull it off, though, I don’t think he’d do that to Yu.”

“No, he wouldn’t. But is Yosuke really that embarrassing on his own? Like you said, Yu is the type of person that nothing seems to bother. What in the world could Yosuke be saying or doing that’s having such a strong effect?”

“I don’t know! I don’t know, Yukiko,” Chie says hopelessly, “but it’s driving me crazy! Yosuke’s annoying and kind of lame sometimes, but he’s not really embarrassing to be around. Not all the time, anyway. And even if he was, Yu obviously doesn’t care. Geez, they’re best friends after all! So unless Yosuke just does something so weird that even talking to him makes Yu go red, then… I think you’re right. Yu has to have some dark secret that only Yosuke knows!”

Yukiko is silent for a long moment. “I know I suggested it, Chie, but… Yu didn’t look embarrassed and upset. He looked embarrassed but happy. Like Yosuke said something silly. Maybe we’re overthinking it. You know, it’s not really our business anyway. Maybe he’s…” She clears her throat delicately. “Maybe he’s a bit prudish when it comes to Yosuke’s dirty jokes? That’s probably it. Yosuke probably makes a lot of dirty jokes around Yu when we’re not around, because he knows you’d probably kick him for it.”

“Yeah, that’s right I would! Ugh, but I asked Yosuke and he said that he didn’t say anything like that. He couldn’t even really remember what he said, but he didn’t act surprised that even something really ordinary might set Yu off.”

“He might be… stretching the truth a bit, when he said that.”

It’s not a great explanation but Chie knows Yukiko is right. It’s not really their business. “I guess,” she says at last. She’s still curious but without asking Yu himself there’s really no way to find out what happened. And she’s definitely not asking Yu. If Yosuke wants to make stupid dirty jokes that embarrass his best friend, that’s his prerogative, but Chie decides that since it doesn’t really concern her anyway, it’s best to just leave Yu out of it. She’ll just try to put it out of her mind, forget what Yosuke said. Just keep out of it.

* * *

Her resolution to keep out of it does not last.

And, Chie thinks, it’s not her fault. Yu was the one who acted strangely in the first place, and Yosuke was the one who said all that stuff that didn’t make any sense, so really it’s not even Chie’s fault that she’s so curious. Or at least that’s what she tells herself, not quite wanting to admit she’s being a little more nosy and invasive than she really should be. Her resolve crumbles at the Miss Yasogami pageant. It occurs to her that if Yosuke was right, and Yu got embarrassed all the time, then maybe he’d get embarrassed at the pageant, being up on stage in front of everyone, wearing old cast-off clothes. Yosuke is obviously embarrassed, pulling at the hem of his skirt and glancing around self-consciously. Kanji, too, to some degree - maybe not embarrassed, but nervous definitely. But not Yu. He seems completely at ease, smiling and wearing the old uniform and the braided wig as though he put it on everyday. Chie’s a little embarrassed herself for fixating so much on her friends. But just as she’s second guessing herself, she sees it. Yu’s face, turning a deep scarlet. And right beside him, of course, is Yosuke.

“What’s he doing?!” Chie says through her teeth, fists clenched at her side. She doesn’t realize for a moment she’s spoken aloud until a passing student gives her a look, and she huffs and storms off, heading towards Yukiko and the others in the auditorium. Once she sees that - Yu’s face, red, again - she can’t stop thinking about it, and all throughout the pageant - where, not surprisingly, Yu stands cool and calm in front of everyone - she’s wondering what could have made him react like that. All the guys look good, Chie thinks, and Yu seems fine as he’s up on stage. So it’s not the pageant itself. The only conclusion she can come to - again, she thinks, the evidence is just stacking up - is that it’s Yosuke’s fault. Whatever Yosuke is saying or doing is enough to embarrass the normally stoic Yu and Chie doesn’t think she can stand it any longer. She has to know what’s going on.

Once the pageant is over - with Teddie blowing the other contestants out of the water - Chie goes to find the boys before she and the other girls have to be up on stage. She sees Yu and Yosuke together again, standing in the hallway near the auditorium. Both their faces are red, and Yu’s shoulders are bunched up with laughter. “H-hey,” Yosuke says. “It’s not funny!”

“Yes it is,” Yu breathes between laughs, corners of his eyes wet. “It’s… it’s pretty funny.”

When Yosuke hears Chie walking up he turns even redder. “Chie,” he seethes, whirling towards her. “This is all your fault!”

“No, it’s yours,” she shoots back, reasonably sure he means the pageant. Even if he doesn’t, it’s probably his fault, anyway.

“I’m going to change,” Yosuke says. He starts storming off. “And tell Narukami I do not look cute!”

Yu wheezes as his laughter redoubles.

“He doesn’t,” Chie says, watching as Yu’s raucous laughter subsides into bubbly chuckling. 

“I don’t know about that,” Yu says. He’s still smiling slightly, but as he calms he seems as cool and put together as always. “He got embarrassed because someone visiting the cultural festival didn’t realize he was a boy. He could hardly talk, so I tried to help.” The corners of his mouth pull up and his eyes shine. “I told him not to worry, and that really it was just a very flattering look on him. Yosuke did not agree. I didn’t mean to laugh at him, but he got so red so quickly.”

Chie rolls her eyes. “You shouldn’t antagonize him like that, he’s fragile enough as it is.”

“But I honestly meant it,” Yu says. He looks earnest enough, any mischief gone from his smile. “It’s a cute outfit. I imagined that was why you had picked it for him.”

She crosses her arms and clears her throat. “I didn’t really think about it, I guess. It was just what I could find that would fit him.” She looks Yu up and down, her eyes narrowing as they examine him. “And it’s not the most flattering look on you, but you don’t look too bad yourself!”

If she expected him to disagree or take the comment poorly, Yu disappoints her. “I tried my best,” he says solemnly, “but Teddie outdid us all.” He nods. “He deserved to win.”

“Yeah, and I can’t believe he entered himself!”

Yu grins again at that, and Chie hates to break up the friendly atmosphere between them, but she has a mission. She clears her throat and says “Hey. I wanted to talk to you.”

“Okay,” Yu says. “About what?”

“Well…” Chie shifts on her feet, looking away from him. “This whole pageant. A lot of the other kids in school are laughing at you guys, and both Yosuke and Kanji seem pretty embarrassed, but… not you. It’s like it doesn’t bother you at all.”

“It doesn’t,” he answers simply. “At least not much. I don’t mind dressing up, but I’d prefer if it wasn’t in front of the entire school. I’ve heard some of the other students saying some pretty nasty things.”

“That’s my point!” Chie says. “Nothing really bothers you! You don’t get flustered or embarrassed or anything. And then I asked Yosuke and he says no, you get embarrassed all the time, so I figured if he was right, this would definitely embarrass you. But it didn’t! You were just as cool as ever. Except I saw you with him, with Yosuke, before the pageant, and you were red! You were definitely red! And the other day when you were with me and Yukiko at Junes and he called you, you got really embarrassed then, too! So it’s only around Yosuke! I wasn’t going to say anything because I know he’s your best friend, but you know you don’t have to put up with him, right?”

Yu blinks at her.

Chie flushes, realizing that she pushed a little harder than she had intended to. “I guess it’s not my business… but if nothing else embarrassses you, then whatever it is Yosuke is saying or doing must be really bad!”

After a long second of silence, Yu clears his throat. “Chie…”

“Aww geez,” she says, regretting that she even brought it up. “I guess I really stepped in it, huh? I shouldn’t have said anything.” She crosses her arms and looks down at the floor. “It’s just that this has been bothering me for awhile…”

Yu takes in an audible breath. “So, just to make sure I understand. You’ve actively noticed that I only get embarrassed around Yosuke. You confronted him and he said he sees me embarrassed all the time. So, naturally, you’ve come to the conclusion that Yosuke is somehow the cause of this embarrassment.”

“A-and you don’t have to put up with it!” Chie says. “If he’s bothering you that much with his dirty jokes or whatever - “

“Oh no,” Yu says, “it’s nothing like that.”

They stand there silently for a drawn out moment. The question Chie wants so badly to ask hangs in the air between them. She can only hold out so long.

“Then what is it?” she asks in a burst. She groans. “I know it’s none of my business, Yu, I’m sorry, but this has been bugging me for so long!”

For the first time, he looks uncomfortable. “I… It’s several different things, actually, not just… not just one thing, really. Or at least… Well, it’s - “

“Oh man,” Chie says, leaning forward a little in surprise. “I’ve never heard you like this before. Is he really that bad? Is he so bad when you’re by yourselves that you’re embarrassed just to be friends with him?”

“No!” Yu gives her a look that makes Chie feel a little ashamed. Just a little - she still thinks she’s not wrong that Yosuke can be embarrassing sometimes, but she did exaggerate and that wasn’t really fair. “Of course not, Chie, I’m proud and happy to be Yosuke’s friend.” He sighs, and scratches at the edge of the wig he’s wearing. “Could we talk about this some other time, though? I’d like to at least get dressed.”

“Oh!” Chie blushes and stuffs her hands into the pockets of her jacket. “Oh, yeah, sorry, of course! You go get changed, and maybe we can meet up later this evening or something.”

Yu gives her a small, tentative smile and heads off to get dressed back in his own clothes.

They do not get the chance to talk later that day. After the pageant is over and done with, Yukiko invites them all to the Amagi Inn that night and there’s no chance for Chie to talk to Yu alone. She tries to put it out of her mind, but she still can’t help being curious. 

And then, only a few days later, the world falls apart.

When Nanako goes missing, a piece of Yu disappears with her. He would do anything for Nanako - they all would. The Investigation Team has been bound together, not only by the painful exposure of the dark parts of themselves but also by a deep strength of friendship. Nanako means the world to Yu and because of that - and because Yu means so much to them - Nanako means the world to the rest of the Investigation Team, too.

They all focus on rescuing her and November passes in a gray haze. Yu is as stoic as ever, and Chie wishes he, for once, would just let go, wouldn’t be the cool, unflappable, detached guy and would instead cry or scream or do something instead of nurse that hurt and suffer alone. She sees him break once. It has been a grueling day trekking through Heaven, trying to get one floor closer to Nanako, and everyone is exhausted. It doesn’t look like Yu has been sleeping, maybe not eating either, and his eyes are red and his skin washed out with a tired, gray pallor. He trips and falls and there is a moment, just long enough to make them all worry, when he does not get up.

Yosuke is already jogging up to him as Yu gets back to his feet.

“Hey, partner,” he says, glancing quick at the rest of the group. A warning flashes in his eyes. He grabs Yu’s arm and helps him up. “You need a peach seed or something?” he teases, his voice bright and loud and pitched with false ease. “I mean, after a fall like that…” He trails off, though, as he sees Yu wince when he puts pressure on his foot. “Are you hurt?”

“No,” Yu says, trying to push Yosuke away. “I’m fine.”

Yosuke doesn’t let him, pulling Yu’s arm around his shoulders. “You’re lying,” he says flatly. “You did something to your ankle.” Yu starts to protest, but Yosuke heads him off immediately. “Okay,” he says, looking back at the others, his voice loud. “I’ll head up the rear with slow poke here. Everyone else go on ahead.”

Yu and Yosuke stand there watching as everyone else in the party walks ahead. As Chie’s passing she hears Yu say “I’m fine. I promise you I’m fine,” and she knows he doesn’t mean his ankle.

“Well yeah,” Yosuke replies. “But it would be okay if you’re not.” And Yu sucks in a breath and Chie bites her lip, not looking back, not wanting to see his face as he breathes noisy, messy, through what she thinks are tears. 

They beat Namatame. No one really doubted they would, not deep down, but the sense of relief is palpable and it feels like a huge weight is gone. They get Nanako back and everything is going to be fine, isn’t it, except - 

Nanako isn’t waking up. And they come so close to doing something terrible, something that they’d never be able to take back. Yu stops them from killing Namatame and then realizes that the real killer is still out there. They hunt him down - after believing for so long he was supposed to be helping - and then maybe, finally, things are going to be put to rights.

Christmas comes, and it seems like everything is going to be okay.

* * *

The school year is almost over and everyone wants to spend as time with Yu as possible. It’s hard to believe that he’s going to be gone, that after everything they’ve been through, after he’s made himself an integral part of their lives, and of Inaba, he’s just going to leave. It’s not his choice, and they all know that, and it’s clear that he’s disappointed just like everyone else is. But it’s still going to suck, and there will still be a hole in their lives where he’s supposed to fit.

“Should we do a party or something?” Kanji asks. “I mean… I don’t want make it more awkward for him, but shouldn’t we send him off maybe?”

“I don’t know,” Yosuke says, flippant. He hasn’t said anything to anyone about Yu leaving, not really, even though everyone knows Yosuke is probably going to miss him the most. Chie can understand - even the thought of losing Yukiko hurts. “It’s not like he’s going to be the only one going, right?” Naoto pulls down her cap and both she and Kanji turn red. Rise looks down at her lap. I’m sure Nanako and Dojima are going to do… something, so maybe we can all visit him there. But I think doing anything big, making a production of it, might just embarrass him.”

“Embarrass him?” Kanji says, so incredulous his voice breaks a little. “Can… I mean, does senpai even get embarrassed?”

Yosuke rolls his eyes and huffs, and Chie thinks about something she hasn’t thought about in awhile. Yu does get embarrassed. By Yosuke! All the curiosity that had disappeared comes rushing back. It’s obvious, from Yosuke’s reaction, that he’s still doing something to embarrass Yu, and Chie can’t believe she still doesn’t know what it is. Yu’s leaving, she thinks, so there’s not a lot of time left. Naoto won’t be the only detective in the group - Chie’s going to find out what’s wrong with Yu and what weird things Yosuke’s been doing to embarrass him.

To that end, and also because she does genuinely want to spend time with him before he leaves, she invites him to hang out one day after school. They train together that afternoon, and it’s a hard session, but it leaves Chie buzzing with a feeling of satisfaction. “You want to go to Aiya?” she asks, jumping up and down on the balls of her feet to warm up. “My treat!”

Yu starts to speak then narrows his eyes, looking at her with clear suspicion.

Chie grins, caught out, and shrugs under his scrutiny. “I thought we could talk maybe? If now’s a good time? Since we never got to talk again after the pageant about… you know, and you said we could, so I just thought - “

“It’s been awhile. You haven’t let this go, then, I see.” He doesn’t sound angry, almost amused, but Chie still feels just a little ashamed.

“Aww geez, Yu, I know, but I can’t help it. Seriously, I’ve started wondering about it again and this is driving me crazy! You just don’t know what it was like, seeing you be so cool all the time and then suddenly go bright red. I thought just about nothing bothered you and then Yosuke comes and embarrasses you so much and - “ Chie runs out of steam, realizing that she’s fixating on something that doesn’t remotely concern her. “Okay, that sounds bad,” she says. “I get that it’s none of my business. And even if Yosuke is saying really weird stuff if you don’t mind I guess that’s not really my concern either.”

“You’re not wrong about that,” Yu says, and Chie glares at him. “But please, it’s just…” He sighs and looks away for a long moment. “Okay, Chie, I will admit something’s going on.” Her eyes widen and she bounces a little with excitement. “But it’s really not what you think. Yosuke isn’t saying or doing anything weird. I really didn’t want to talk about this, but I suppose there’s no helping that now.” Before Chie can apologize, or assure him that she won’t force him to talk, he starts walking. “Let’s go to Aiya, then, and get it over with. Your treat right?”

He doesn’t wait for her and it takes Chie a second to mentally catch up. “Y-yeah,” she calls out after him. “My treat! Wait up, Yu!” 

“I’m feeling very hungry,” Yu says. “I’ll have to get steak. Probably as much as they have.”

“Hey I’m not made of money here, Narukami!” she says, jogging up to him. “Maybe have a little restraint!”

They sit down at Aiya and it’s clear Yu is not eager to begin this conversation. Chie waits as long as she’s able, responding to his small talk and trying to hold in her anticipation. Finally, though, it’s too much and she clears her throat and says “Well. Are we gonna talk about this or what?!”

“Hmm.” Yu looks up thoughtfully. His brows draw together and then he lets out a soft sigh. “You make this seem so easy, Chie, but I think it’s more complicated than you realize. I am embarrassed,” he says, “around Yosuke because…” Chie nods, trying to encourage him, trying not to let her impatience show. “Well, I didn’t want to tell anyone this,” he says, sounding resigned, “But Yosuke is the person that I like.”

For a moment Chie is sure she heard incorrectly, and her brain tries to put the sounds in a different order to form some other idea. But all she can come up with is what, despite everything, she knows she heard. “Uh… What?”

Yu’s expression matches his voice now, resigned to seeing this confession all the way through. “I said that Yosuke is the person that I like.”

“Uh… You mean that Yosuke is your friend, right? He’s the person you like… as your best friend.”

“He is my best friend,” Yu agrees. His eyes, very briefly, roll upwards to look at the ceiling. “But I also like him in a romantic way.”

Chie gapes at him.

Yu sighs. “It’s kind of funny. I think most people in school would be receptive or would at least let me down gently if I confessed. I had to find one of the few people who wouldn’t.”

“But it’s… Yosuke,” she says. 

Yu smiles. “That’s kind of the appeal. Yosuke’s funny. And a good friend. And he doesn’t often apply himself in school, but he’s smart.”

“Y-yeah, that’s true, I guess,” Chie sputters out, “but I don’t think that’s enough to - “

“And,” Yu interrupts, anticipating her argument. “He’s cute, too.” He flushes, just the faintest tinge of red. 

“Seriously?!” Chie says, her nose scrunching up. “Yosuke?”

“Yes,” Yu says, his voice a touch chastising. “He’s quite handsome, in his own way.”

This is kind of true, actually, Yosuke isn’t bad looking. But he’s also Yosuke, and Chie cannot think of him as anything other than her very dorky friend. “Are you sure we’re talking about the same Yosuke here? Hanamura?”

“Yes,” Yu says again, exhibiting more patience than Chie thought one person could possess. “The same Yosuke. I don’t really know what you want me to say, Chie. I just think he’s cute and I like him.” He sighs. “And… because of that, I do get a little embarrassed around him sometimes, more than I do around anyone else. That’s not really unusual, though. Fairly standard when you have a crush on somebody.”

“I guess,” Chie says, deciding that arguing more about whether or not he should have a crush on Yosuke in the first place isn’t going to be productive. “But you spend so much time with him! Geez, you even pulled him out of a garbage can when you first met him! You’ve seen his shadow! And you’re still embarrassed?”

“Ahh.” Yu looks away. “It’s because I want him to like me, too. I care what you and the rest of the Investigation Team think about me because we’re friends, but for the most part other people’s opinions of me don’t really matter. With Yosuke, though, it’s different. I’ve never cared about someone’s opinion the way I care about his. And I’ve never… I’ve never liked somebody as much as I like him. I guess it makes me a bit self-conscious.”

Chie, still grappling with Yu’s secret, stays silent. As unexpected as the news is, it’s obvious that Yu is sincere. He likes Yosuke.

“And please, Chie,” he says, breaking into her thoughts. “Don’t tell anyone else.”

“Oh don’t worry,” she says, looking away. “I won’t say a word. Not that I think anyone would believe me anyway.”

And that’s that. Yu seems perfectly content to make his declaration and then go on as if everything is normal. He keeps eating his food, completely oblivious to the suddenly heavy atmosphere. Chie stares at him for a long silent moment.

“So, what?” she asks finally. “Do you want to… like, date him?”

“Chie.” Yu sighs again, his patience clearly near its limit.

“I’m sorry!” she says, shrugging defensively. “I’m just… I guess I don’t get it. I mean, you have such good taste otherwise.” Yu rolls his eyes but can’t totally hide a smile. “And no offense to Yosuke but… Okay, no, maybe a little offense to Yosuke, but you could do a lot better than him, you know.”

Yu laughs. “I can’t really explain it any better than what I already have. He’s cute, he’s fun to hang out with, and.” Yu clears his throat and then, clearly imitating Yosuke says “See you later, partner” and winks, just like Yosuke always does. “You have to understand, Chie,” Yu says. “I mean, I’m only human.” And he looks down at his food and his cheeks turn a bright pink.

It takes a moment, but then Chie can’t hold it in. She laughs, almost like one of Yukiko’s fits, nearly doubled over at seeing Yu so embarrassed and so obviously - and adorably - smitten.

**Author's Note:**

> How many of y’all are gonna come at me for not finishing same face in a different frame. I’m ready. (I mean I haven’t abandoned it, I’m still working, it’s just.... writing is hard?)


End file.
